NIFA – but wait, there’s more
J-Wire publishes Ron Weiser’s response to yesterday’s piece fron Robin Margo on the establishment of a New Israel /Fund Australian organisation.
5 Points in response to Robin Margo:
1 – It is well known in this community that I have respect for Naomi Chazan and have worked with her over many years. No-one will take as credible, comments that I disparage her.
2 – We do not know what the Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP) received from NIF in 2010. We do know that NGO Monitor states, and to the best of my knowledge NIF in Israel do not dispute, that for the last reported year (2009) CWP was an NIF grantee.
As well we do know that even up to now, the CWP website solicits tax deductible donations for them to be sent via NIF in the UK, the USA and Switzerland.
On the CWP website currently.
“ How to Donate
To our American friends: For a US-tax deduction, make out a check to the “New Israel Fund”, write on the memo line (or separately) that it is “For the Coalition of Women for Peace”, and mail it to New Israel Fund, 1101 14th Street NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005-5639.
(Minimum they will accept – $100.)
To our British friends: For a UK-tax deduction, make out a check to the “New Israel Fund”, write on the memo line (or separately) that it is “For the Coalition of Women for Peace”, and mail it to New Israel Fund, 25-26 Enford Street, London W1H 1DW. (Minimum they will accept – 70 GBP.)
To our Swiss friends: For a Swiss tax benefit, make out a check to “Neuer Israel Fonds Schweiz”, write on the memo line (or separately) that it is “For the Coalition of Women for Peace”, and mail it to NIF-Schweiz, Postfach 425, CH-4010 Basel. Or deposit to Postscheckkonto 40-37333-1.”
3 – Margo says that CWP is no longer an NIF grantee.
On the other hand he states that Machsom Watch is an NIF grantee.
As I understand it, Machsom Watch is a member of the CWP.
Is that correct? If so what is the deal?
Has NIF ceased funding CWP but continues funding its constituents?
4 – At what point does NIF find good reasons to stop funding some grantees such as Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity (SJS)?
Does NIF agree that SJS calls for an end or fundamental change to the Jewish National Fund (JNF) for example?
5 – No Robin, I have not tried to stop NIF establishing here. What I and others in the leadership are concerned about is the activity in support of BDS and activity in support of the Palestinian Right of Return meaning the end of the Jewish State, engaged in by some NIF grantees.
What we have been trying to do is to encourage NIF to return to the good social and welfare work it does.
SOMEONE IS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH!!!
The “Coalition of Women for Peace” (CWP) claims, on its web site at http://www.coalitionofwomen.org/?p=2102&lang=en that “The statement by Robin Margo contains numerous false facts, such as the removal of CWP from NIF DA list in the beginning of the year (the last donation via NIF entered our bank account on May 16, 2011).”
However Robin Margo told J-Wire on 16 May 2011 that “If Dr Weiser had attended Professor Itzhak Galnoor’s address at Shalom College last month, or made direct enquiry of Naomi Chazan, he would know that the Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP), one of the organisations he repeatedly cites as evidence that NIF is on the wrong side of his so-called “red lines”, had not received any NIF grant for two or three years and had also been removed by NIF from its list of approved donor-advised organisations.”
Robin Margo also told J-Wire on 19 May 2011: “NGO Monitor now acknowledges (per its Communications Director, Jason Edelstein, J-Wire 19/5/11) that NIF does not provide funding to the Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP) and has not done so since 2009, though Dr Ron Weiser is still suggesting publicly, with no evidence and for motives known only to him, that funding may have continued into 2010 (Weiser, J-Wire 17/5/11, para 2).”
SOMEONE IS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH!!!
In addition to the validity of the above points raised by JWIRE, a few simple facts stand proven,
– the mere fact that NIF undertakes now to change its policies of financial support for NGO’s with anti Israel agendas, proves once again ( if necessary ) that, untill the “change”, NIF was involved it the said policies.
– having dealt with NIF’s confirmed culpability,NIF is expecting instant acceptance by the very communities, indeed Israeli society,and simply to have obliterated the seriously felt effects of its recent anti Israeli activities. As the said effects are still affecting all concerned, the redemption NIF seeks can only materialise once the plethora of anti Israel policies will be completely gone. Only a comprehensive teshuvah can reinstate NIF as a legitimate component of our Jewish fold. The “big tent” is a lamentable falacy, considering the serious harm caused to the tent by NIF. And, most importantly, the harm still exists, as those “abandoned” NGO’s are still functioning “autonomously” thanks to the substantial kickstart provided by NIF. Thus, NIF practically CREATED the problems. The problems NIF created still exist. The magic expected by NIF of erasing them from the palpable reality of their still active existence can only be a part of the entire edifice of absurdities NIFA is trying to hoist on those who have spent lifetimes of genuine loyalty to Zion and Yidishkeit.
It should also be noted that, practically, it is not up to any individual leader or such ellites to exercise any degree of discretion in accepting to any extent NIFA within our fromal structures !!!
1. I suggest you go and read the NIF website, where this information (and more!) is published annually for all the world to see.
2. Your “knowledge” of the Sheikh Jarrah protests differs from the knowledge of many others, including a large number of Jewish Israeli citizens who participate in the protests not to “beat up” the country they live in and love, but to try to make it a better place.
1. I suggest that Robin urgently publish a complete list of organisations currently receiving funds from the NIF, together with their website addresses.
2. I do know that the Sheikh Jarrah protests are part of an international campain to denigrate Israel on completely fabricated grounds. It is clear from the pro-Palestinian sources that the evictions involved are for the refusal by two protected tenants to pay an agreed nominal rent after the settlement of litigation that began in 1982. In that case the Court upheld the freehold title of two Jewish organisations which purchased the property in 1875. Nobody is trying to evict the other tenants who are paying their rent. Basically the NIF is financing an anti-Israel beat-up.